The annual SAPCA Technical Conference returned to Nottingham’s East Midlands Conference Centre for the second year running. Held on 27 November, the programme of seminars and sessions covered several topical issues and was followed by a networking dinner which provided delegates with a relaxed environment for further discussions.
With a record-breaking 230 attendees, the event started with a keynote from former England International footballer, Karen Bardsley. She offered a candid view of her time as the Lionesses’ first-choice keeper and also shared insights into the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, the first senior FIFA tournament to be played entirely on synthetic pitches. Recalling her journey at the World Cup, Bardsley’s key message was how “no one wins by being afraid to lose”
She also shared with delegates how she has witnessed – through her role as former Chair of the Greater Manchester Women’s Football Board – how artificial surfaces have become crucial in grassroots sport, providing reliable playing hours in all conditions.
During the pre-lunch session, delegates were then offered an informative update on a research project to test alternative infills in 3G pitches. SAPCA Chair and Labosport UK Managing Director, Dr Kathryn Severn, was joined on stage by Niall MacPhee and John McLuckie from Sports Labs. They provided insights into the Football Foundation’s Sheffield test site, where SportsLabs have been carrying out testing and providing data to advance research into alternative 3G infills to replace traditional rubber crumb.
They outlined how the Sheffied test site features seven different pitch systems and, as well as testing the technical performance of each – from shock absorption to ball roll and traction – data has also been gathered from players to gauge user feedback on the surfaces.
“We devised a questionnaire comprising 15 questions, assessing everything from ball and player-surface interactions to overall ratings,” McPhee said. “In total, we received 1,657 responses, which were then compared with the technical test data.”
Thanks to the research and analysis, the project has now moved to the next stage, which has seen a full-size pitch system being built, to test its performance in a 11-a-side setting.
After lunch, attendees learnt about the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) indoor cricket dome project. The Government is investing £1.5 million to help the ECB build two further indoor domes in Luton and Farington in Lancashire, following the opening of similar domes in Darwen and Bradford.
The Luton dome, due to open in early 2026, will give underrepresented groups, such as state schools much-needed access to cricket, with the potential to offer other sports – such as hockey, tennis and badminton – so that as many local people as possible have the chance to get active.
During the session, Dr Iain James, ECB’s Head of Facilities Services outlined the NGB’s Covered Outdoor Cricket Facility Design Guide and the requirements it sets for non-turf pitches. “We have the ambition to build 40 domes and we’d like to do that as soon as we can,” James said, outlining the potential scope of the project.
That was then followed by a session, chaired by Paul Fleming, Professor of Sports Surface and Ground Engineering at Loughborough University, which looked three recent industry research projects in sports surfacing.
First, Professor Steph Forrester, Director at Loughborough University’s Sports Technology Institute, presented findings on traction behaviour of organic infilled 3G pitch systems. Forrester revealed how the shape of football boots studs has a big impact on traction among different types of performance infills used in 3G pitches.
“Traction is strongly influenced by stud engagement, which varies with the test device, stud shape, and performance infill material,” Forrester said.
She was then followed on stage by Zach Morley, a Knowledge Transfer Partner Associate at Loughborough University and Technical Surfaces. Morley said that a study into the maintenance regimes of organic infilled 3G systems had revealed a number of points of consideratio – such as the suggestion that more pine infilled systems may require more frequent deep decompaction maintenance.
The research session was rounded off by Kexin Ma, a PhD student at Loughborough University, who presented the findings of a study into climate heat effects on artificial turf pitches. Among the key points suggested by the research was that cork turf is highly temperature-sensitive, showing increased energy return as the temperature rises. This could have implications in the way the turf is utilised in different climates and environments.
Commenting on the event, Colin Corline, SAPCA’s Technical Lead, said: “It was another hugely successful Technical Conference. The feedback from delegates has been excellent and I would like to thank all of the speakers for sharing their insights with the industry. We look forward to seeing everyone next year.”